HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



253 



ance, and in the manner of making it, which they for- 

 merly had, and {till continue to ufe. They put the 

 grain to boil in water with a little lime ; when it be- 

 comes foft, they rub it in their hands to {trip off the 

 fkin ; then pound it in the Metlatl (h), take out a little 

 of the pafte, and ftretching it by beating it with both 

 hands, they form the bread, after which they give it 

 the laft preparation in the Cornalli. The form of the 

 bread is round and flat, about eight inches in diameter, 

 and one line or more in thicknefs ; but they make their 

 loaves or cakes {till fmaller and thinner, and for the no- 

 bles they make them as thin as our thickeft paper. It 

 was cuftomary alfo to mix fomething elfe with the bread 

 to make it {till more wholefome and relifliing. For per- 

 fons of rank and circumftances, they ufed to make bread 

 of red maize, mixing with it the beautiful flower coat- 

 zontecoxochitly and feveral medicinal herbs, to diminifh 

 its heat to the {tomach. This is the fort of bread which 

 the Mexicans, and all the other nations of thofe extenfive 

 regions, have ufed until our time, preferring it to the 

 beft bread of wheat. Their example has been imitated 

 by many Spaniards; but to fpeak impartially, this bread, 

 although it is extremely wholefome and fubftantial, and 

 when frelh made of a good tafte, becomes rather dif- 

 agreeable when {tale. The making of bread, as well 

 as the preparing and drefling of every kind of meat, 

 has always among thofe nations been the peculiar occu- 

 pation of their women. They were the perfons who 

 made it for their families, and who fold it in the market. 



Betides bread, they made many other meats and 

 drinks of maize, with different ingredients and prepara- 

 tions. 



(h) The Spaniards call the Metlatl metate, the Comalli comal, of which we 

 fhall prefently fpeak, and the Atolli atole. 



